Marking UNESCO World International Day for Cultural Diversity

The Bar of Ireland was delighted to welcome President of the High Court Mr Justice David Barniville to open our inaugural World International Day for Cultural Diversity on May 24. Counsellor Yemi Adenuga led a lively panel discussion on the importance of multicultural awareness in the delivery of justice, with insightful contributions from public representatives, legal practitioners, and educators.

Our increasingly global and multicultural society guarantees that Irish lawyers will have clients and colleagues of different cultures. The panellists discussed how essential it is that the legal profession become multiculturally intelligent to be able to respond to, and advocate effectively on behalf of different needs, and strengthen decision-making in the process. The legal profession must also strive to become multiculturally representative to ensure that it is reflective of the community it serves. As a profession we advocate for the rights of all, so it is imperative that we are a profession of ‘all’. Representing the diversity of culture that currently

Meeting of Four Bars

The Bar of Ireland recently hosted the leadership of the ‘Four Jurisdictions’. This arises as part of a regular engagement with the Bar of Northern Ireland, the Bar Council of England and Wales, and the Faculty of Advocates in Scotland. Agenda topics for the working visit included the independence of counsel, experiences of reforms, and funding of respective legal aid systems, as well as priorities such as diversity, regulation and the promotion of the profession.

The meeting came in advance of the Four Jurisdictions Conference in Belfast on June 9-10, which brought together practitioners from the respective Bars.

Speaking following the engagement, Chair of the Council of The Bar of Ireland Sara Phelan SC said: “These engagements continue to strengthen the valuable relationship between our legal and judicial exists at the Bar are members from Venezuela, Iran, Pakistan, Nigeria, Moldova, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and South Africa. Through targeted measures such as The Bar of Ireland’s Equality Action Plan, it is hoped that this list will continue to grow.

No celebration of cultural diversity is complete without food, music and dance! The event continued into the evening with performances from Venezuelan Roots and traditional Irish musicians from the Law Library and wonderful cuisine provided by Mama Shee and Ayla Turkish Foods Market. systems. The Bars face comparable challenges in the face of internationalisation of legal services, regulation, political developments and technology.